


Love on the air

by Moonstruck9



Category: King Falls AM (Podcast)
Genre: Angst, Bromance to Romance, Fluff, M/M, Male Slash, Romance, Swearing
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-05-23
Updated: 2017-05-23
Packaged: 2018-11-03 21:56:28
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,663
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10976118
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Moonstruck9/pseuds/Moonstruck9
Summary: Ben has been going through a rough patch lately. Sammy is snappy and angry and he is starting to figure out why. What will happen when Sammy finally pushes the boundaries of their friendship? // Set after chapter 49.





	Love on the air

**Author's Note:**

> I've noticed a shortage of King Falls AM fics, so here's mine. 
> 
> As I always say, I'm Spanish, so I apologize beforehand for any possible mistakes that there could be. 
> 
> Enjoy and, please, comment or something if you like it, it really makes my day!

‘That’s why I’m saying that Grisham is a-’

‘Herschel, I’m sure you have a VERY long list of expletives prepared for the mayor, but I would prefer if you could keep it PG tonight’ Sammy Stevens sighed into the microphone while he massaged his temples. He was not feeling like listening to Herschel Baumgardner go on and on (and on) that night. In fact, he felt like getting out of the station, going back home and drinking himself to sleep for some reason. It was just one of those days. 

‘Well, Stevens, I didn’t fight in every war since WWII to not be able to speak my damned mind in a *bleep* late night radio show!’ Sammy rolled his eyes at the old man’s husky and angry voice that blasted in his headphones. If he had a dollar, a penny, even, for each time he had heard that line… He looked at Ben Arnold for support, but his best friend and co-host wasn’t paying attention to him nor to Herschel. 

‘Ben.’ Sammy coughed, trying to catch his attention. His friend jumped in his seat and looked confused for a second. 

‘Sammy is right, Mr. Baumgardner. I think you already know that we in King Falls AM are family friendly.’

‘Arnold don’t make me go there and…’

‘Wow, look at the time, Mr. Baumgardner, I’m afraid I’m going to have to let you go! Good night!’ Ben hung up the phone before their listener could say anything else that threatened them with getting an angry email from Merv. 

‘Very smooth, Ben’ Sammy laughed, to which his friend shrugged lazily. ‘Well King Falls, the sun is about to go up in our beautiful town and it’s about time we headed home. This has been the Sammy and Ben show in King Falls AM, 660 in the radio dial.’ He took off his headphones and stretched in his chair. He was glad the show was over for the day. He looked at Ben, who was slowly picking up his things. The boy looked bad. He had looked bad for the last days, since Emily and… ugh… Frickard had shown up at the station. There were black circles around his eyes, which also looked swollen and red from crying during, Sammy guessed, most of the day. He wanted to say something to him, cheer him up, but he had decided to give his friend some space. Not like Ben wanted to talk about it, anyway. In fact, he had made the point that he wanted to forget all about it. So Sammy bit back the words that were struggling to leave his lips and restrained from rushing to Ben’s side and hugging him until he had cried his very last tear. 

They made their way out of the radio station without saying one word, Sammy looking at his co-host from time to time who kept his gaze directed to the floor all the way to the building door. They stepped out. The chilly mountain morning breeze made them shiver, but they were used to it after two years. 

‘There you are!’ a friendly voice broke through the trailer. Deputy Troy Krieghauser waved at them from the hood of his car. He was off-duty that day, judging from the plain clothes he was wearing. 

‘Troy! What brings you here this early?’ Sammy asked, walking towards him. Ben simply nodded for a greeting. 

‘I figured we could go to Rose’s for breakfast. I’m used to getting up early anyway.’ Sammy noticed the frown on Troy’s face while he looked at the both of them, but decided to stay quiet for the moment. The radio host didn’t really feel like hanging out with his friends, especially with Ben in that state, but he couldn’t turn down the deputy’s invitation until he had gone all the way up to the station, so he agreed, the same as Ben (although he just shrugged). They jumped in their respective cars and drove to the diner.

Sammy was grateful for driving his car, alone, for a while. He didn’t even bother to turn on the radio, he just took time to process his thoughts. Sure, he was worried about Ben, and frustrated because there was very little he could do to help him besides being there for whatever he needed. But why was he so… angry? He was angry at Frickard for lying to Emily, sure, but that was not the source of the massive negative feeling that clung to his chest every time he saw Ben, or thought about him. He decided to leave that trail of thought for later as he approached his destination. 

Once they were sitting in a table and had already ordered their coffees and some pancakes, Troy began making small talk in an attempt to break the heavy silence that hung around them. Sammy did his very best to keep up with the conversation, but Ben only grunted responses in a coarse voice from time to time. Sammy could feel the frown forming in his own forehead. He clenched his fist on the table until his knuckles turned white. 

‘Okay, that’s enough’ Troy finally said, brushing his hair with his hand ‘What the hell is wrong with the both of you? I was listening tonight and you weren’t yourselves at all.’

‘What’s wrong? What is…’ A spark of anger flashed dangerously in Ben’s eyes ‘Do you really need me to tell what the fuck is wrong with me?’ The few patrons of Rose’s started looking at them when Ben suddenly raised his voice ‘Do you need me to relive the most embarrassing, painful moment of my fucking life? Because I think all of King Falls was listening while my fucking heart was smashed to pieces!’ 

‘Enough!’ Sammy refrained his hand from smashing the table and lowered his voice ‘Will you quit it already?’ Ben looked at him, dumbfounded ‘I get it–we, we get it. What you are going though must be incredibly hard and painful and… Look I just… Don’t look at me like that.’ Sammy’s face softened at Ben’s hurt expression ‘Sorry… I… I didn’t mean to snap.’ He lowered his gaze to his lap. 

‘See, I understand that you are going through hell, Ben, but you have to remember that we are here for whatever you need. And we can’t help you if you don’t let us.’ Troy then looked at Sammy ‘And what’s wrong with you Sammy? It’s not the first time you’ve snapped lately. You being rude to the listeners and to Ben, of all people, is just out of character.’ 

‘I…’ Sammy breathed slowly ‘I don’t know.’ His hands were trembling on the table. Ben noticed this and he put his on top of his friend’s.

‘Hey. I know I haven’t been in a good place lately. We haven’t talked that much and… It’s not that I don’t trust you with my problems, Sammy, you know that’.

‘It’s just that I feel frustrated for not being able to help you. And seeing what this whole mess with Emily has done to you makes me angry… and sad. And it’s unfair that I feel this way, because it’s not me who is suffering, but I can’t help it.’

‘It’s ok, Sammy. I understand. It’s normal for you to empathize with me.’ Ben tightened his grip on Sammy’s hands. ‘We’re best friends, after all.’ Somehow, those words hurt Sammy and shook him to his very core. He pulled his hands from under Ben’s hold. Something had just clicked into place for him. He finally realised what he was so angry about, why he couldn’t stand to see Ben being so low and depressed. 

‘No, Ben, you don’t understand. Fuck, you don’t even have a clue. God, how can I be this stupid?’ He bit back the tears that were forming in his eyes, fuelled by the frustration that he felt because Ben didn’t understand. 

‘Sammy, are you OK, buddy?’ Troy reached across the table for his elbow, but the radio host ducked from his touch. 

‘No, I’m not. Excuse me’ He got up and walked out of Rose’s.

‘Sammy? Sammy!’ Ben shouted as he stood up to chase him. He caught up to his friend as he was opening the door of his car. ‘Wait… Wait a moment, Sammy, please’ He begged as he caught his breath and adjusted his glasses. ‘Wh… What’s wrong? Did I… Did I do something wrong?’

‘It’s not that, Ben, it’s just that… it’s complicated.’ He tried to get in his car, but Ben grabbed him by the shoulder and stopped him, urging him to talk. ‘I don’t want to add to your pile of worries. And I don’t really want to talk about it.’

‘Sammy, please. I don’t want there to be this tension between us. If this is about me moping around I can try and be more open about my feelings. I will try to get better. You know that you are one of the most important people in my life. You are my best friend, I would do anything for you.’ 

‘It’s just that, Ben.’ He smiled sadly. ‘I don’t want to be your best friend, nor one of the most important people of your life.’ The hurt look in the smaller boy’s face was tearing his heart into pieces. He breathed slowly and took a step towards Ben, heart racing. He closed his eyes and gently kissed his friend’s lips, putting one hand on his cheek, while the other boy just stood there, dumbstruck ‘I want to be THE most important person in your life, and I’m stupid for just realising that. And I’m even more stupid for falling for my best friend who is obsessed with the local librarian. Sorry.’

‘Sammy. Sammy, wait!’ But Sammy got in his car and drove away, leaving a shaken Ben standing in the parking lot. ‘Sammy…’ Ben touched his lips as a tear rolled down his cheek.

**Author's Note:**

> That's it for now! I hope you liked this chapter. I'll try to write another one soon (-ish). I'm in the middle of exams, so if I take my time you know why it is.


End file.
